When It Rains it Pours - the Titans take down the Gators

December 7, 2023

Mulgrave v. Walnut Grove

An early season matchup of giants, we have the home team Mulgrave Titans facing off against the visiting Walnut Grove Gators! This also just happens to be a rematch of last year's No Regrets Girls final - we were in for a treat!

The Titans look to take advantage of their unique combination of height and athleticism, by coming out in a full court zone press with some of those long wingspans at the front of the zone. With only a few practices under their belt at this point of the season, the Gators have done a great job of navigating the press with their zone break. 

Not to be outdone, Walnut Grove has been dropping back into a 2-3 half court zone D - testing Mulgrave’s ability to execute against the zone. The Titans game plan to penetrate the middle of the zone mid-post has been established, and when the pass gets there the defensive collapse is opening up their shooters from deep. A couple back-to-back three pointers has Mulgrave up 11-6 early in the first quarter, with #11 Lucy Xu getting her fair share of buckets.  The Titans have continued their strong play to finish the quarter, giving themselves a 17-point lead at the end of 1. 

#10 for the Titans, Eva Ruse, started the second Q with an impressive up and under finish around the rim. The Titans continue to do damage with a variety of team members, including #1 Jenna Talib who just knocked down her 4th three pointer of the game! We have lots of game left ladies and gentlemen, let’s see what Talib can tally from deep. Although the Gators have their hands full, they are fighting hard and testing out a number of different defensive strategies. If Walnut Grove is going to put a dent in this lead, they will be looking for the three ball to play a major role; #4 Anna Koo is looking to lead that charge as she knocks down a deep 3. 

Coach Claude for Mulgrave said this is their first game of the season, and they have only been able to fit in 2 full practices as their volleyball season just came to an end on Saturday. We aren’t seeing those early season jitters or the offseason rust you might expect. The Titans have come out firing leading to a 49 to 14 lead at the half.

Halftime Fact #1: 4 of Mulgrave team members have already committed to play post-secondary basketball, with 3 heading to Canadian universities and 1 headed south to play Division 1.

Halftime Fact #2: Standing an impressive 5’11 on a good day, I would just barely crack the top 5 in terms of height if I was on either the Titans or the Gators!

We are partway up Cypress Mountain here on the beautiful north shore, and I can confirm with conviction that it is raining, not snowing at the base; three, after three, after three from the Titans - that old saying “when it rains it pours” might just be Mulgrave’s slogan for this season. Standing 6’2, #14 for the Gators Lyla McKay is making things challenging inside, using her height to alter and block the inside attempts from Mulgrave. Although the margin sits at 30, the Gators have come out very strong in the second half outscoring the Titans in the first 8 minutes of this quarter. With each defensive stop and made bucket for Walnut Grove you can see their team-wide confidence build. With a whole season ahead, the Gators can use this opportunity to increase confidence and test out some of their sets, getting them prepared for another battle tomorrow. 

As we hit the end of the third, the Titans are up 60-31.

The 3 ball has cooled down for Mulgrave in the second half, which was inevitable as the first-half stats were remarkable. Combo that with a renewed energy from the Gators on both ends of the court, Walnut Grove has chiseled the lead down to 27. 

#1 Jenna Talib came into this game on a mission, letting the Gators know early and often “it’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me”; her individual as well as team dominance throughout the game was impressive. The hot shooting from Mulgrave led to a quick lead, and even with a strong effort by the Gators in the second half the margin was just too big to recover from.  A great first game from both teams, who will get a night's rest before getting after it again tomorrow. 

Final Score: Mulgrave: 76 - Walnut Grove: 46.

No Regrets.